Second Counter

Eyes are the window to one’s soul. You search eyes to find what is kept in the heart. Ashley had done it too. Not that she wanted to. But the urge to explore those ocean-deep pools was too strong to ignore when her blue orbs collided with his green ones. There was gloom, pain, and loneliness in those bright eyes. But why? He has everything one could dream of. Wealth, status, power, and looks. Then why his eyes were claiming otherwise. As if he was also deprived, just like her.

Whatever happened last night was still fresh in her mind. She kept tossing and turning in the bed trying to decipher the mystery named Daniel. The look that Daniel gave her was unforgettable and heart-stirring. And what happened in her suit confused her even more. Daniel is fully aware that she is married so why would he do something like that? Why he looked so concerned about her injuries. His unexpected behavior had shaken her to the core. She was trying to make a sense out of it.

The sun rose and she didn’t get a wink of sleep. However, by the morning she had decided not to dwell upon this topic anymore. As she was sure that she wasn’t going to see Daniel again in her life. If only she knew.

She made some toast in the morning and decided to do the laundry. She was in the middle of soaking the clothes when she realized that she had run out of washing detergent. The box was empty which means she had to make a run to the shop. She used to refill the stocks at the end of every month. Ash emerged out of the bathroom and went up to Michael. She didn’t want to talk to him but she needed money to buy stuff. He was gobbling on the toasts.

“This is the end of the month. I need money to refill the stocks,” Ash asked meekly. Michael paid no attention to her as he kept eating. She stood there for a while contemplating if he had heard him or not. Before she could repeat her words, Michael got up from the chair and threw some money on the table. Ashley saw him walking out the door.

She felt like a beggar when she gathered the scattered notes. As soon as she finished her house chores, Ashley went to a nearby departmental store to buy the household goods. She had already prepared the list of goods to buy.

As it was early in the noon, the store didn’t have many customers. She always picked this time of the day for the shopping because of her discomfort among people. The woman behind the counter gave her a warm smile. Ashley was a loyal customer and had been shopping here for the last four years. Ashley returned the smile with her own.

Only a couple of people were in the store. Without delaying any further she started collecting the goods she had listed. In an hour, she had managed to cross off all the goods in the list. Ashley rolled the trolley towards the counter. After paying the amount, she sauntered out with multiple bags in her hands. Handling so many bags with her two hands turned out to be quite a task. However, she continued walking towards her home.

She had covered a small distance when a black Porsche stood beside her. The woman gawked at the machine as she had never seen a car like this. She was mentally admiring the car when the window of the driver's seat rolled down. Ashley was too captivated to spare a glance at the person sitting inside.

“Ashley, get in. I will drop you at your house,” a familiar voice brought her out of the trance. She shifted her gaze to the man sitting behind the wheels. Her heart stopped working for a moment when she realized who had called out her name. Daniel was looking at her with an amused expression. He had caught her gawking at his Porsche.

Ashley didn’t respond as her brain had stopped functioning just like her heart. Not getting an answer from her he spoke again. “Come on in. I will give you a ride in my Porsche,” he smirked. And that is when she realized that she has to respond.

“Thank you Mr. Smith for your offer but my house is not very far from here. I think I‘ll walk,” she responded politely. Daniel didn’t say anything. The intensity with which his eyes were caressing her face made a current course through her body. Ashley gave him a polite smile and began taking long strides towards home. She looked back only to see his car still standing on the same spot. She couldn’t see him though due to the tinted glass of his car. But her instincts were telling her that he was watching her. The mere thought made her quicken her steps.

She slowed down only after turning the corner. Finally, she was out of his sight. She took a sigh of relief. She herself was confused as to why she was behaving so weird around him. It is not that he had harmed her in any way but still she always felt the urge of making a break for it whenever she crossed path with him.

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